Where I Slept

2020
Installation Maquette
Canvas, Acrylic Paint, Timber, Furniture
30” x 30” x 7”

Where I Slept is the maquette of a large-scale temporary installation by Rachel Simmons. The installation is a condensed version of the artist’s second college dorm, which had been a two-story loft apartment. It features three rooms with walls made of fabric and timber, all painted in a stark white apart from the bathroom, which has translucent fabric walls. Warm and cool light add dimensionality to the otherwise sterile environment. As viewers advance through the installation, the height of the ceiling drops lower and audible static builds toward the exit. Moreover, each room has furniture that has also been painted white, except for the final room, where there are two beds with colorful bed sets. 

The installation explores the concepts of loneliness and a lack of privacy. Though she shared the dorm with another student, Simmons frequently felt as though she lived alone. The piece transforms the safety and familiarity of a lived space into an unsympathetic and sterile environment with bright light and translucent walls and windows.